Portable shield



Jan. 7, 1958 c. J. BROUSSARD PORTABLE SHIELD Filed Feb, 14, 1956 INVENTOR. mzaries CZ.B)0 u 53mm,

ATTu RN EYS PORTABLE snmrn Charles I. Broussard, Lake Charles, La assignor of one half to W. T. Castleberry, Houston, Tex.

Application February 14, 1956, Serial No. 565,505

2 Claims. (Cl. 169-1) This invention relates to a portable shield for use in fighting fires.

The object of the invention is to provide a portable shield which can be readily moved from place to place so as to facilitate the fighting or extinguishing of fires such as oil or gas well fires.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable shield which is adapted to be moved to a position contiguous to a fire and whereby the shield includes a housing and comprises a plurality of pipes as well as a suitable covering which may be made of a fire resisting material such as asbestos, the pipes adapted to have a cooling fluid circulating therethrough and wherein the cooling fluid may be water.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable shield which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the portable shield, constructed in accordance with the present invention, and with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is a view taken at right angles to the view shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the portable shield, with the doors open, and with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral designates a portable shield which is adapted to be used in fighting or extinguishing fires, and the shield 10 includes a hollow housing which consists of -a horizontally disposed bottom wall 11 and a curved top portion 12. There is further provided a pair of hingedly mounted doors 14 which are mounted for opening and closing movement as when access is to be gained to the interior of the housing. Skids may be used for supporting the device so that the device can be readily moved from place to place as desired.

The housing consists of a plurality of conduits or pipes 16 which are hollow and which are adapted to be connected to a suitable source of fluid such as water under pressure in a suitable manner. Valves 17 may be provided in certain of the conduits 16 so as to control the flow or fluid therethrough. Support members 18 may be secured to the upper section of the housing at any suitable manner, and the support members 18 can be used for various purposes, as for example these members 18 can be used when a winch or hoisting mechanism is being used for lifting the device. A door 19 may be hingedly mounted adjacent the lower end of the device. A covering 20 surrounds the various parts of the housing, and the covering 20 can be made of a suitable fire resistant material such as asbestos.

2,818,927 Patented Jan. 7, 1958 There is further provided a means for introducing the cooling fluid such as water through the various pipes or conduits which are part of the doors 14, and this means is shown in detail in Figure 4. This means comprises hinges which are indicated generally by the numeral 21, and the hinges 21 consist of a bushing 22 which has a pipe or conduit 23 rotatably mounted therein, and the conduit 23 is provided with a plurality of spaced apart ports or apertures 24 whereby the fluid can flow therethrough. The closure 25 may be mounted on the lower end of the member 23.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a portable shield which is especially suitable for use in fighting fires such as fires in oil wells, gas Wells and the like. In use, fire fighting equipment such as special clothing or the like and personnel can be loaded inside the housing. Thus, the doors 14 can be swung open and then the equipment and personnel can be loaded inside the device. Then, the doors 14 can be closed. The various conduits such as the conduits 16 can be connected to a suitable source of fluid such as cooling water under pressure and the valves 17 can be used for controlling the flow of water to these conduits. Due to the provision of the asbestos skin or covering 20, and the cooling pipes 16, the personnel and equipment within the device will be protected from the high temperatures of the fire. The entire device can be readily pushed or pulled and the skids 15 facilitate the movement of the device. If desired, the doors 14 can be partly opened so that persons within the housing can extinguish the fire by any suitable means. Or, if desired, fluid issuing from certain of the conduits 16 can be either recirculated or else it can be directed towards the fire to help put out the fire.

The support member 18 can be used for any desired purpose, as for example, when the entire device is to be lifted by a hoist, crane or the like. The hinge joint 21 shown in detail in Figure 4 insures that the cooling water will circulate through all of the pipes 16 which make up the frame work of the housing and also insures that the cooling water will circulate through the pipes of the doors 14. The joint 21 is constructed so that regardless of the rotary position of the parts, water will be able to flow through the ports and thus will be able to flow through the various pipes. The present invention can be used for fighting and subduing fires and the device can be made in different sizes and shapes and of any suitable material and is readily portable or movable. Water can be directed outwardly from the device onto the fire so that personnel or equipment within the device will be protected.

I claim:

1. In a portable shield for use in fighting fires, a hollow housing including a pair of curved vertically disposed side walls, a horizontally disposed bottom wall, a pair of doors hingedly connected to said side walls, said housing and doors comprising a plurality of hollow pipes adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, and valves for controlling the flow of fiuid through said pipes, and a fire resistant covering on said housing, and spaced apart support members secured to the upper portion of said housing, skids for supporting said housing, and hinge means for said doors adapted to have fiuid passed therethrough, said hinge means comprising a bushing, a vertically disposed conduit rotatably mounted in said bushing and provided with a plurality of apertures for the passage therethrough of fluid, said bushing and conduit having certain of said pipes connected thereto.

2. A portable shield for use in fighting fires, comprising a hollow housing embodying a pair of curved vertically disposed side walls, a horizontally disposed bottom wall, a pair of doors hingedly connected to said side walls, said housing and doors embodying a plurality of hollow pipes adapted to be connected to a source of fluid under pressure, valves for controlling the flow of fluid through said pipes, a fire resistant covering on said housing Whereby personnel and equipment within the shield will be protected from the high temperatures of the fire, spaced apart support members secured to the upper portion of said housing, skids for supporting said housing so that the shield can be readily moved from place to place as desired, hinge means for said doors adapted to have fluid passing therethrough, said hinge means embodying a bushing, a vertically disposed conduit rotatably mounted in said bushing and having a plurality of spaced apart apertures for the passage therethrough of fluid, closures mounted on the lower ends of said conduits, said bushing and conduits having certain of said pipes connected thereto, said shield adapted to hold fire fighting equip- 5 ment, personnel and the like.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Rzeminiecki Nov. 7, 1933 2,360,397 Carpenter Oct. 7, 1944 2,742,268 Tarr Apr. 17, 1956 

